Henry Gormley to Thomas E. Bramlette

Accession Number

KYR-0001-004-0592

Document Genre

Petition

Repository

Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives

Collection

Office of the Governor, Thomas E. Bramlette: Governor's official correspondence file, petitions for pardons, remissions, and respites 1863-1867

Item Location

BR9-440 to BR9-441

Date of Creation

9 March 1864

Dates Mentioned

1863-10

1861

1864-03-09

1864-04-26

Governor Bramlette

I Henry Gormley would respectfully state to your Excellency that at the October Term 18643 of the City ^Court^ of Louisville I was fined in said court $25 on a charge of an assault & battery on Mary Jane Burch. She and another lady testified on the trial that a short time previously they were passing along a street where houses are some distance ^apart^ that I was sitting by the side of the street, That as they came near me I sprang up and advanced towards them in a furious manner. That I caught hold of a coat in the hands of said Mrs Burch and pulled it away from her and threw it down that they ran from me and that I followed till they met William Parke, that he took hold of me, that they then left picked up the coat and went on their way. They said they did not think I was drunk.

There were no other witnesses on the part of the Commonwealth.

I had no witnesses summoned but four persons who were present in Court testified for me. One stated that I had been his tenant some five years immediately preceding 1861, that he ^had^ always regarded me as a harmless inoffensive man, that I joined the federal army, that he had been informed that I was wounded in battle at Shiloh and in consequence had been discharged, and that since my return home he thought that by turns I showed symptoms of derangement particularly if I had been taking liquor.

Another stated that he had known me four or five years that he had always considered me harmless & inoffensive that he had been informed that I had been wounded at Shiloh. Another stated that he was in the same regiment with me that I conducted myself well while I was in the army. and Another stated he saw me at Shiloh & knew that I was wounded there. I showed the jury the scar of my wound. It was a sabre cut. I stated that I have a very indistinct recollection of what occurred at the time when the ladies say that I assaulted them as stated above. I remember that
that I went towards the ladies. I remember that Mr Parke took hold of me and told me to go home. I had never seen or heard of the ladies before.

I was wounded on the top of my head in the battle at Shiloh and in consequence thereof I was discharged from the service

I have never been well since I was wounded I am unable to do any hard work. If I take cold or drink very little intoxicating liquor my head is at once much affected.

I am poor and unable to pay the fine I pray your Excellency to remit it and as in duty bound I will every pray &c

March 9^th 1864

Henry Gormley

To Governor Bramlette

We the undersigned pray your Excellency to remit the fine against Henry Gormley We are his neighbors. We have known him for several years. He has always been considered a harmless peaceable man. We think he was laboring ^under^ some hallucination at the time he assaulted Mrs Burch

March 9^th 1864
Isaac R Greene
John [Sm]Frank
J C Barid

In the case above stated the proof did not show to the Jury that the wound he received at Shiloh affected his mind. But since the trial I have seen enough of the petitioner & have heard enough from reliable returned soldiers who were with him at the battle of Shiloh to convince me that his statement is true &
at the time of trial had I known as much about him as I know now I certainly would have dismissed the Indictments. His case strongly, appeals to Executive clemency

W. G. Reasor City atto

From Statements made to me to day by officers of the Court. I am satisfied the Petitioner's mind is Impaired by the wound which he received, He has the reputation of being generally a very quiet Inoffensive man

Geo W Johnston

City Court of Louisville
vs

Henry Gormley's Petition

Assault
$25 —

Remit except fees & costs
Tho E Bramlette

26^th Apl/64

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